Tengoku
by DerpingToaster
Summary: Shintaro Kisaragi is an average teenage boy. Almost, at least. After a turn of unfortunate events, Shintaro gets sucked into a gang known as the Mekakushi Dan. After joining this gang, he soon finds himself head-over-heels for the attractive gang leader, Kano Shuuya. However, it turns out that this whole love thing is a lot more dangerous than Shintaro had previously thought.
1. Chapter 1 - Unravel

DISCLAIMER:

I DO NOT OWN KAGEROU PROJECT. ALL CHARACTERS ARE PROPERTY OF SHIZEN NO TEKI-P/JIN, SHIDU AND WANNYANPU. I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT FOR THIS STORY. NO COPYRIGHT INFRIGEMENT IS INTENDED. THIS STORY IS PURELY FOR RECREATIONAL, NON-PROFIT PURPOSES.

AUTHOR: ME

FANDOM: KAGEROU PROJECT (Alternate Universe)

RATING: PG-13 - HARSH LANGUAGE, SUGGESTIVE THEMES, DEATH, VIOLENCE, POTENTIALLY TRIGGERING SUBJECTS, (Alcohol use, death, blood, gun violence, gang, brief suicide mention, terminal disease mention, mental disease mention, etc.) AND SLASH (Same sex/Yaoi (MxM)) PAIRING.

Enjoy!~

The harsh summer's light filtered in through white curtains draped across the windows and into the boy's room. His dark hair contrasted deeply with the nearly all-white room. He sat up, rubbing his tired black eyes. "Shintaro!" A girl's voice called from outside of the room, muffled by the walls and door. "Ugh. What now?" The boy mumbled, rolling his eyes. Shintaro stood up, put on his red slippers, and reluctantly headed downstairs. "What do you want?" He groaned, glaring at his younger sister. "Mom wants you to go pick up some groceries for her." The orange-haired girl smiled, not looking up from her cooking. "Fine." The dark-haired boy sighed.

He ascended the stairs once more, returning to his room. "Why can't she do it _herself_?" He mumbled, pulling his red jersey on over his black T-shirt. The boy sighed once more, audibly, before returning downstairs to eat whatever his sister Momo had cooked. After eating quickly and thanking his sister, he opened the door and stepped out into the summer heat. Although he didn't want to run errands, it was his turn, and his responsibility.

The boy's mother had a terminal disease, causing her to have to stay in bed for most of the time. This also meant that she couldn't work, and so money was extremely tight, especially for a single mother with 2 teenage kids. Shintaro often stayed home to care for his mother. Because of this, or, at least partially, he had quit school to take care of her. That, the fact that he simply didn't care, and that he hated going to school due to a friend's recent suicide were all contributing factors.

The boy wiped the sweat from his brow, quickening his pace. A few hundred feet away was a cute girl that ran a fresh vegetable stand. Being the awkward teenage homebody he was, he approached the stand quickly, trying to avoid conversation.

The girl naturally started one, and as Shintaro was trying to keep her talking so that maybe he wouldn't have to engage in painful conversation, a girl suddenly appeared, seemingly from thin air.

She was tall, at least for a Japanese girl. The girl had green hair that was back in a ponytail and she wore a black jacket as well as green ripped jeans tucked into black, heeled leather boots. This girl had an overall punk look, and she seemed very intimidating, at least to the antsy shut-in boy.

Shintaro decided to ignore her. However, when the girl running the vegetable stand turned her back for a mere second, the green-haired punk girl grabbed a small box of carrots from the table. "Hey! Those aren't—"The shut-in was cut off when the girl disappeared into thin air, right in front of his eyes. "I must just be seeing things." He whispered to himself. "Damn this heat." The boy hissed under his breath. "What was that?" The girl behind the stand looked up, placing a box of cucumbers on the table. "S-some girl stole…y-your carrots! But uh, don't worry, miss. I'm going to go get them for you, ok?" Before the girl had time to respond, Shintaro ran off.

"Now, if I were a shady girl stealing carrots, where would I hide?" The dark-haired boy asked himself mentally.

"Ah—!" He gasped, sharply turning and running into a nearby alleyway. The sound of hushed speech could be heard coming from the dark, narrow space. The boy crept forward, afraid of making any noise. On accident, he kicked a small rock into the dark gap. "Shit!" He hissed, stepping backwards. The dark-haired boy heard footsteps, a chill running down his spine, even despite the incessant heat. He heard footsteps, holding his breath and squeezing his eyes shut. Feeling someone's presence extremely close to him, Shintaro slightly opened one of his black eyes. He nearly fell backwards upon seeing the boy standing next to him.

"Excuse you. You _do _know whose property you're trespassing on right now, hm? Ours." The boy scoffed.

He was shorter than Shintaro by about 2 inches. His left eyebrow and the bottom of his lip were pierced, as were his ears. He had red-tipped hair that went to black, and had blonde roots. He dressed like the punk girl, in mostly black, excluding his faded blue jeans. This boy stared at the NEET with his sharp, yellow catlike eyes. Shintaro felt the boy's gaze boring into him. It was although this kid could see directly through him.

The dark-haired boy glanced around nervously, feeling the sweat rolling down the back of his neck. His heart was pounding in his ears. The walls of the alley were covered in colorful graffiti, and it felt as though those walls were slowly closing in on him.

"N-No, I don't. You'll have to inform me." The taller boy stuttered, feeling his face get red. "Well, pretty boy." The cat-eyed boy stepped towards Shintaro. "You're in the Mekakushi Dan's territory." He laughed. "A gang?!" The dark-haired boy stared at this strange boy who had come from the shadows in disbelief. "You heard it." The boy retorted sharply.

"So, are you a snake? If not…" The boy trailed off and pulled a gun from his belt. "I'll have to blow a hole through your pretty face." He glanced at the gun. "W-What? Snake? What the hell are you talking about?" He looked at the boy holding the gun. "Red eyes." The boy with the gun seemed to echo, almost sadly. "The snakes. The snakes live inside of certain people after they die. The snakes are what give us our powers. The red eyes. Monsters. Freaks, simply put. Rejects and social outcasts. Not exactly a comfortable lifestyle, but no one chooses to be a surrogate for the snakes. The snakes choose us. Simple as that." The boy remained stoic.

Suddenly, a smile spread across his face, and he took Shintaro's form. "My name is Kano Shuuya. I'm the leader of the Mekakushi Dan. The Deceiving Eyes. The trickster, the liar. Untrustworthy. But, it comes in handy, I'll admit." Kano turned and glanced into the darkness.

"Mary!" He called. A small girl in a black frilly dress, black hair, and black dangly diamond earrings emerged from the darkness. "Is he one of us, or not?" Kano asked, putting his hands on his hips. "Wh-but..." Shintaro stared at Mary, looking shocked. "He is. I sense the presence of a snake inside of him." Mary nodded.

"Thanks." The deceiver dipped his head, and the girl returned to the darkness. "But...I never even knew...so...that means I have the red eyes too? What's my power?" Shintaro asked. "You have the red eyes, yes. And how should _I_ know what your power is?" The liar glared at him. "Well, another snake. Welcome to the Mekakushi Dan, then." The shorter boy smirked.

"I...what? My mother wouldn't want this!" Shintaro whispered.

"This is your only chance to be with the other snakes. You can even help provide for your family, if you learn to steal things. That'll come in due time." Kano smirked, looking at the bag of groceries on Shintaro's arm.

The shut-in disliked the idea of stealing, but at least there would be more money to go towards helping with his mother's treatment, as well as possibly towards other things as well. Although it was a bit of a dirty way of getting by, it was better than not doing anything at all.

After all, the boy couldn't have held a job anyways.

He had no degree of any sort, nor had he even graduated high school. He figured he could've gotten a good job, and perhaps actually done something with his life, as he had an IQ of 168. This made him an extremely smart and gifted student. If he had cared about school, which hadn't been the case for 2 years, since his friend's suicide. Sort of a waste of a good brain.

"It can't be helped, I guess." Shintaro sighed.

"What?" Kano asked, glancing back at him.

"Nothing. It's nothing." The taller boy waved his hand dismissively.

"Alright then. Let's begin the ceremony, then." The cat-eyed boy stared into the darkness.

"What are you talking about?" The homebody boy asked, cocking his head.

"Ha! Did you _seriously_ think we'd just accept you into the gang without doing anything? It's not every day we come across other snakes." The liar laughed. The dark-haired boy looked confused. "Come. Let's go." Kano's voice echoed down the alley, the soft sound of his boots were the only sound besides that, as the hushed voices from earlier were now completely silent.

Shintaro reluctantly followed him, because he knew he was unable to run at this point.

He heard a door creak open, and he followed the shorter boy through the narrow doorway. Inside the room, it was entirely dark, and Shintaro's heavy breathing sounded multiplied tenfold, so he assumed this room was void of any furniture.

"Close your eyes." Kano demanded. "W-What? Why?" The dark-haired boy asked, trying to refrain from showing his fear. "Just do it. Stop asking questions." The deceiver snapped. "Alright! Chill, ok?" Shintaro closed his eyes, now becoming slightly less afraid of and more annoyed towards this boy.

"Your name is?"

"Shintaro. Shintaro Kisaragi."

"Shintaro, eh?"

He heard the shuffling of cards, and Kano's voice shattered the ominous silence hanging in the room. "Pick a card." The boy's voice echoed off the walls into the darkness. The taller boy reached his hand into the darkness, feeling Kano shove the cards into his hand. Shintaro grabbed one upon hearing an impatient, frustrated sigh from the other boy. "Number seven." He heard Kano say.

Before he understood what was going on, he felt a sharp, stinging pain in his nose and mouth. He nearly fell backwards from the impact. "What the hell was that?" The boy opened his eyes, wiping his mouth and nose with his hand. There was something wet on his hand, and it smelled of iron. Most likely blood, and his own at that. "Did you just...hitme?" Shintaro asked.

"So what if I did?" Kano said as the light flicked on.

"Sorry to mess up your cute face." He winked, walking over as he firmly pinched the taller boy's cheek. "But..." The deceiver smirked. "There is a blood vow required, after all."

He handed Shintaro a card, presumably the one from earlier. On the front of it was the number 7 on it and a black snake with red eyes. Shintaro flipped the card over. On the back, there was another number 7 but this one was written in blood, and when the NEET lightly ran his finger over the number, it smeared across the card.

"Before your official welcome, there's one more thing every new member is required to do."

Kano handed the boy a knife, quickly closing Shintaro's fingers around the sharp object, almost although he wished not to see it. Without warning, the shorter boy pulled the knife from Shintaro's hand, rapidly flinging it to the floor. "Shit!" Shintaro spat. "What the hell? Seriously! That hurt, you asshole!" At this point, Shintaro had become very annoyed with this boy, and his hands hurt too. He had a headache, and the fear of this boy seemed to have melted away.

"Welcome to the Mekakushi Dan, kid." Kano gestured to the wall.

Shintaro adverted his gaze from his bleeding hand and stared at the wall. The number 7 was written quite small, although neatly, in blood, assumingly his own.

Behind him, he heard the door open, and the other 6 hooded, black-clothed members entered the room.

"So...do you guys live here...or..." Shintaro sounded confused.

"We do. But, you didn't hear that from me. Plus, we're rarely ever here, and even more rarely all at once. Call the cops and I'll blow your head off." The cat-eyed boy hissed. "Whoa, whoa, ok. I won't tell anyone, I swear of it.

"So, do you guys have families?" The shut-in asked.

"No. I don't want to discuss it further, so drop it." The liar's expression hardened. "Follow me. If you're gonna be a part of the gang, you'll need a place to sleep at the very least." He slowly walked out of the room and down a long hall, glancing back every so often to make sure Shintaro was still following him.

The hall was gray and appeared old, as if people had lived in this house before. There was nothing in the halls, save the old gray paint, which had begun to chip and fade in places. It had an almost ominous air to it, and Shintaro disliked it.

After a bit of walking in silence down the halls, Kano abruptly stopped outside of a room, swiftly creaking open the old-looking door.

"You can stay here for the time being. Or not."

"Thanks, Shuuya." Shintaro forced a smile, trying to come across as friendly.

"That's _Danchou_ to you." The deceiver shot the other boy an annoyed glance.

"Sorry, your highness." The dark-haired boy muttered under his breath.

The liar turned around, and swiftly exited the room.


	2. Chapter 2 - Ikanaide

The boy reentered the room about 10 minutes later, carrying a neatly folded bundle of black clothes. He glanced at Shintaro, who was sitting on the bed, slouched against the wall and staring at something on the screen of his phone.

"Put these on." Kano placed the clothes on the bed next to him. "That red jersey stands out like a sore thumb. You're gonna get caught."

"Thanks." The NEET continued to stare at his phone.

Kano nodded and left, leaving the door open about half an inch. He hurried down the hall, sitting down about 30 feet from Shintaro's door.

"Shit!" Kano spat, his golden stare rapidly scanning the halls. The new member was cute, and he seemed nice, although a bit feisty and sassy. Probably an A blood type. Gross.

He whispered the boy's name.

"Shintaro Kisaragi."

Wait.

"Shintaro."

"Kisaragi."

Was this the boy whom his _beloved _older sister was best friends with, and often spent time studying with after school?

He swore he remembered that name. A thousand times Ayano had said it, and yet it sounded faint, worn and bland, and as though he had heard that name faintly whispered once or twice, many years ago.

He thought about that boy, over and over again.

If he did have something to do with Ayano, Kano would find out.

But not now.

Kano blushed, glancing around nervously.

None of the other gang members knew that the boy was interested in other boys. Not to mention the fact that he would _never_ tell anyone else about it. He didn't want to be labeled and made fun of, and a homosexual gang leader wouldn't exactly be the most intimidating, especially if anyone found out and leaked the secret to others.

Suddenly, a smile crossed the boy's face.

He quickly took the cute and innocent appearance of Mary and crept over to Shintaro's room. The cat-eyed boy peeked through the crack in the door.

The liar shuddered.

"He's hot."

The shorter boy felt a strange warmth run though his body, and he felt a strange tingling feeling in his limbs. His heart raced in his ears, and his blood felt hot.

Kano leaned in closer to the door.

"Holy hell." The deceiver whispered. Unnerved by the dark-haired boy changing in the room, he lost his balance and fell against the cracked door, pushing it open, causing him to, rather unflatteringly, fall to the floor.

Shintaro screamed and pulled his pants on, stumbling backwards.

"Mary! Uh...Hi! Sorry, you caught me a bit off guard." The taller boy caught his breath. "Must've forgotten to lock the door.

"A-Ah, Sh-Shintaro-san! I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were changing! P-Please excuse me!" 'She' quickly got to her feet, brushing off her dress and bowing rapidly, 'her' face flushed.

"I was uh...wondering if you wanted some tea." The medusa girl smiled nervously.

"Sure. Yes, that would be nice. Thanks, Mary." The NEET smiled warmly.

'Mary' bowed quickly and left the room.

Kano returned to his usual form and leaned against the gray wall. His thoughts wouldn't stop wandering to Shintaro's ass in those pants.

"Dammit." The liar hissed as he headed down the hall towards the kitchen to get the tea he had promised the other boy.

As he walked into the kitchen, a flash of green caught his eye. It was his older sister, Kido. Now, the two were not biological siblings, but they had both been adopted by Ayano's biological parents while back. Kano briefly thought back to those days. They were always happy, and he longed to return to that time.

Kido's flat and bored voice pierced his thoughts.

"Hey."

"Hey, sis. What are you doing?" Kano didn't look at her as he began to boil water, since hot water was much too valuable to waste on luxuries like tea, which was very rare to be had.

"Making dinner." The girl responded, her black eyes staring down at the knife she was using to chop up the carrots that she had stolen earlier. The rhythmic tapping of the knife against the cutting board was the only sound in the room, excluding the water boiling quietly on the stove.

The liar felt himself trembling as he looked at the knife, feeling a sharp pain in his chest once more, just like on that day almost 10 years ago.

He exhaled shakily, and returned his attention to the boiling water.

After he had made the tea, he poured it into some antique, traditional Japanese style cups that used to belong to his biological mother.

"Your mom's nice cups?" Kido asked as Kano was about to leave.

"Yeah. We need to make him want to stay, don't we? Besides, he's a new member and a guest." The liar looked at his sister with slight suspicion. "Plus, we don't want him telling the cops, or anyone else for that matter." The cat-eyed boy whispered under his breath.

Before entering Shintaro's room, Kano retook Mary's form.

"Hello, Shintaro-san! I-I brought that tea you asked for! I'm sorry it took so long!" 'Mary' squeaked. 'She' set the tray down on the little desk next to Shintaro's bed. The white-haired girl watched as the boy picked up one of the cups. The shut-in sat on his bed and sipped the tea.

"D-Do you like it, Shintaro-san?" 'Mary' stuttered.

"I do. Thanks."

"Good. Well I...Uh...I'd better be going." The medusa girl glanced at Shintaro one last time before quickly leaving the room, shutting the door behind 'her.'

Shintaro raised an eyebrow as she left, wondering why the girl may have been in such a hurry. The loud ringing of his phone broke through the room. The boy picked up his phone from the little desk, looking at the untouched cup of tea Mary had left. The NEET glanced down at his phone, his black gaze focusing in on the small white phone number.

It was his mother.

Reluctantly, Shintaro answered the call, holding the phone to his ear.

"Where are you?" His mother sounded tired.

"I...got caught up in something. I'll be home by dinner, I promise!" The boy lied, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Ok." Mrs. Kisaragi responded.

"Bye." Shintaro hung up before his mother could say anything more.

He shoved his phone into his pocket, opening the door and running down the hall.

"Whoa there." Kano's smooth voice echoed down the hall as he stepped in front of the boy. "Where are you headed to so fast?" He asked, gently poking the taller boy's chest.

"I have to do some errands for my mom that I forgot about. I really have to leave."

"Will you be back?" Kano was surprised by the warmth of his voice, and the fact that he had just said that.

"Yeah, yeah. I have to go." The NEET pushed Kano's arm away from his chest and ran down the hall towards the building's exit.

After finishing his mother's errands, he rushed home, breathing heavily as he closed the door.

"Hi mom!" He gasped.

"Sorry I'm a bit late." Shintaro breathed as he entered the kitchen and set the groceries down on the table where his mother sat. She looked tired; her hair was ruffled and she was still in her pajamas. The boy pulled out a chair and sat down next to his mother.

"How are you feeling, mother?" He asked.

"I'm alright, a bit tired. Thanks." Mrs. Kisaragi responded flatly.

She glanced up from her soup at him, laughing.

"Shintaro!" The boy's mother covered her mouth with her hand. "W-What the hell are you wearing? You look like a gay motorcyclist!" His mother snickered.

"I'm glad to see you still have your sense of humor." Shintaro forced a laugh.

Unfortunately, the boy was not aware that this would be the last time he would hear his mother laugh again.


	3. Chapter 3 - Ai Kotoba

As the days stretched into months after his mother's passing, Shintaro Kisaragi had absorbed himself in the gang, as well as getting Momo to join. His physical appearance had changed slightly, and he had become even more reserved, keeping mostly to himself. He had returned to his usual habit of staying in his room. He often felt guilty for his mother's death.

Kano often tried to talk with Shintaro about his mother's death, since he had experienced the exact same feeling on that day many years back.

A loud knock on his door jolted Shintaro from his thoughts.

"What the hell do you want?" The boy hissed.

The door opened slightly, and Kano poked his head through the doorway. "Look, Shintaro," the deceiver started. "I know you've been a bit down lately about your mother. Do you..." He paused. "Do you want to talk about it? Or at least get out of this place? Staying in your room all day isn't the _best _solution for dealing with this sort of thing."

"I don't want to talk. I just want to go get some fresh air. I've been in here for too long." The NEET's voice sounded distant and cold.

"That's fine. Come on, I know somewhere that has a really nice view of the sunset."

The taller boy nodded, and reluctantly stood up, following the liar down the hallway.

The 2 didn't speak until they had exited the HQ, and were now standing under the warm orange light of the evening sun.

"We have to go fast, or we'll miss it." Glancing at the taller boy, and suddenly losing himself in the memory of the first time he showed his sister that place, he grabbed Shintaro's hand and ran across the street and into the tallest apartment complex in the city.

Kano went inside and pushed the button for the elevator to go up. As soon as the elevator doors opened, the cat-eyed boy pulled Shintaro in and pressed the button to go to the roof of the building. A few more people got on and off on the way up, but as soon as they reached their destination, Kano pulled Shintaro out onto the roof.

The NEET gasped as he glanced out across the city.

The taller boy quickly realized he was still holding the shorter one's hand, and he pulled it away rapidly, his face the same shade of red as the streak in the front of his hair. Shintaro sat down, the shorter boy sitting next to him.

"This is my favorite place. It's so beautiful up here, and I come up here to think or be alone often. It's very relaxing, and practically no one else comes up here."

And for the first time in a long, long, long while, Kano smiled a smile that wasn't fake or forced.

The sky was a beautiful orange that faded to a dark blue pricked with twinkling silver stars. The clouds were splashed in pink, purple and red, and the shimmering gold sun could be seen peeking its top half out over the mountains around the city.

The deceiver closed his golden eyes and let himself enjoy the breeze that blew through his tricolored hair.

Suddenly, he broke the silence.

"I used to come up here with my sister sometimes." The golden-eyed boy sighed, glancing up into the deep blue vastness above them.

"What was she like?" Shintaro gazed at the other boy. "Your sister, I mean."

Upon saying that, Kano glared at him and his smile faded, his gaze returning to his usual sly, hard one.

"What's it to you?" The deceiver coldly retaliated.

The NEET decided to drop the subject, as he could tell it irritated him. He always seemed regretful and even angry whenever the taller boy brought up his sister.

Shintaro felt strangely drawn to this boy, however, and he looked over at the shorter boy, whose figure was highlighted by the quickly fading orange light. The deceiver had a rather small figure, slightly feminine, only highlighted further by his tight leather jacket. He also had surprisingly long legs for how short he was.

The shut-in felt his heart pounding, and he hoped desperately that Kano didn't hear it.

Shintaro couldn't say that he was in love, per se, but he felt some strange emotion, stronger than a simple friendship, towards this boy.

Perhaps it was simply that the homebody boy was happy not to be alone, and to have someone who shared a similar situation, and in whom he could confide.

Kano's voice shattered the silence that had fallen across the roof.

"Want to go get some drinks?" Kano smirked.

"I'm pretty sure you're underage." The taller boy responded.

"Only by 4 years," the liar scoffed. "So are you."

"By 2 years, yes." Shintaro avoided Kano's cold stare.

"You're 16." The NEET sounded concerned.

"And?" The boy with the gold eyes rose to his feet. "C'mon, we'll steal some! You and I!" The younger boy's eyes sparkled in the faint ambient light from the streets below them. "Stealing stuff isn't right!" The taller boy felt his right hand clench into a tight fist. "Well how the hell else are we supposed to get them?! I have no money! None of us have any money! If stealing is the only way to get by in this shitty place, then that's what I'll do. Do you think I like stealing? No. But it's the only way!" Kano had raised his voice by mistake, and now it echoed across the roof.

"Let's get some drinks." The cat-eyed boy repeated, his tone calmer and softer.

Shintaro nodded silently, not wanting to argue with the younger boy and risk possibly angering him further.

The two went into the elevator without speaking, Shintaro glancing at Kano every so often on the way down. He was smiling, and even the genius NEET couldn't see through the deceiver's facades.

Sometimes, Kano secretly wished Shintaro would notice his fake smiles, and would ask him what was wrong.

"If only." Kano whispered, much too quiet for the boy accompanying him in the elevator to hear.

Sometimes he felt like his emotions were going to get the better of him, and he wanted to scream. Those gross feelings of anger and sadness made his chest feel tight and gave him a terrible headache. But he never complained, or spoke a word about them.

The two boys stepped out of the elevator as soon as it hit the first floor, and they didn't make any eye contact as they exited the building. They crossed the street, and Kano quickly shifted his form into that of an adult man.

"There." The deceiver gestured towards a bar a short distance away.

"I know the bartender there. It'll be easier to get free drinks for both of us since we're...friends" Kano laughed.

As the two proceeded towards the bar, Shintaro stared awkwardly at Kano's strange, different form.

"Act natural." The liar hissed through his clenched teeth.

As soon as the two entered the bar, a cute dark-haired girl waved at Kano.

Some strange feeling of envy rose up inside Shintaro as Kano waved back at the girl. The cat-eyed boy walked over and sat down at one of the bar stools, immediately picking up a conversation with the girl. The NEET reluctantly slid into a seat next to the liar, trying not to look like he wanted to kill the bartender girl.

The girl giggled cutely and slid a few drinks across the table towards Kano and Shintaro, and Kano winked at her.

Shintaro sighed angrily and reluctantly took the drinks, while the deceiver gladly took them, pretending to be in love with this girl.

The shots were cold and hard, and Kano found it hard to keep from coughing after drinking them. It burned his throat as it went down. It almost hurt, but it felt good at the same time.

Soon, his mind felt blurry and clouded, and the hollow, sharp pain in his chest was reduced to a dull, faint one. After entirely drowning out his emotions and replacing them with the euphoric warmness of alcohol, he stood up and headed towards the door, motioning for Shintaro to follow him.

The shut-in and the liar skirted the edge of the building and silently slipped into an alleyway behind the place. Kano returned to his normal form. He grabbed Shintaro's shoulders and pushed him against the brick wall of the alley, staring into his dark eyes.

The NEET blushed and puffed up his red cheeks.

"You look like a Puffer fish." Kano laughed, his face less than an inch from Shintaro's.

The taller boy's face darkened, and he looked away from Kano's sharp, golden stare.

"Y-You're drunk, Kano!" Shintaro protested.

The younger boy was smiling, and his face was flushed a light shade of red too, but these were simply forced upon him as effects of the alcohol.

Kano leaned forward, lightly breathing Shintaro's name. The homebody boy felt a warmth run through his body as the liar pushed his lips against Shintaro's. The older boy felt the cold metal of the liar's snakebites against the bottom of his lip.

It was nice for the most part, minus the fact that it was a little awkward and slightly uncomfortable, as neither of the boys knew exactly what they were doing, simply going along with some instinctual urge.

Shintaro felt a strange warmth spread through his body, and he realized that he was entirely powerless against Kano, despite the fact that the deceiver was 2 inches shorter, and 2 years younger.

Suddenly, the cat-eyed boy forced his tongue into the taller boy's mouth. Shintaro ignored the deceiver's tongue piercing and moaned quietly.

"K-Kano! People might see us!"

Kano pulled away from the kiss, licking his lips and breathing down the NEET's neck. He simply ignored Shintaro's comment and began to kiss the other boy's neck. The dark-haired boy shuddered as he felt Kano trailing kisses down his neck; it was occasionally that the liar stopped to suck on the older boy's neck, leaving small red marks.

The shorter boy slid his hands into Shintaro's jacket, pulling it off. After also taking off his own jacket, he embraced the taller boy, leaning forward to kiss him again, this time as slowly as possible, slightly teasing Shintaro.

However, Kano was grateful for human contact, as he secretly longed for it, especially from someone who loved him. He wasn't exactly sure if Shintaro actually loved him, or if it was simply lust. However, at this point, the greed for affection had overcame Kano.

The boy pulled down Shintaro's shirt, kissing along his collarbone. The dark-haired boy moaned quietly as Kano ran his finger across the other boy's jawline.

"Do you love me?" Kano asked.

Shintaro was unsure of the answer to this question. His head felt like a jumbled and blurry mess, but he too longed for human affection, and his heart was pounding in his ears. The boy felt like his blood was boiling in his veins. His throat felt dry, and he simply stared at the other boy.

"Yeah." He whispered.

The NEET shuddered and felt a tingle run down his spine as the liar began kissing along his hipline. The dark haired boy moaned again, running his hands through the shorter boy's hair.

"K-Kano." The shut-in stuttered

"Kano!" He repeated once more, his voice louder and his tone more harsh than it had been previously. The boy bit into his bottom lip, nearly moaning again.

"We're in a public place!" Shintaro hissed, his voice trembling.

"So you want to stop, then?" Kano asked flatly, looking up at the older boy.

Shintaro nodded, blushing.

"Alright." The deceiver pulled Shintaro's shirt back down and quickly kissed him.

The two headed back to the HQ, both avoiding eye contact with each other, although pretending that little 'incident' hadn't even just happened.


	4. Chapter 4 - All My Time

When the two returned to the hideout, Kano finally found himself able to make eye contact with Shintaro again. The deceiver didn't hear any footsteps, and no one acknowledged their return like they usually did, so he safely assumed no one was in the HQ besides them for the time being.

"I'm going to go take a shower." The younger boy yawned.

"I'll wait in your bedroom." The taller boy turned and headed down the hall.

"Good." Kano smirked, and headed towards the bathroom. He opened the door, and stripping down, finally letting his facade crumble. He sighed, thinking about Shintaro once more.

He stepped into the shower, turning the water on. It was warm, and it felt good running over his smooth skin. The boy zoned out for a bit, standing under the steady stream of water. His soft blonde hair became a light brown as it was soaked by the water.

Suddenly, the situation from earlier flooded back into his memory, and he blushed slightly, the beginning of a smile pulled at the corner of his lips. He quickly finished what he originally got in for, and stepped out, tuning off the warm stream of water.

In all honesty, he was anxious to see Shintaro again.

He didn't know if he was in love per se, but that didn't change the fact that he wanted to see Shintaro again, maybe to feel the older boy's cool touch on his warm skin, or to taste his lips again.

Small, clear drops of water rolled down Kano's small form and off his long, slender legs. The deceiver quickly dried off, wrapping the towel around his waist, making sure to activate his red eyes as to not let the older boy see his heavily scarred body.

The liar opened the bathroom door, heading down the cold hallway towards his bedroom.

He was greeted with the sight of Shintaro sitting on his bed. The NEET's clothes were scattered across the floor, and he only wore a pair of tight, black boxers. Kano smirked, a pale shade of pink dusting his face. Shintaro stood up and locked eyes with Kano, walking towards him.

"I'm going to go get in the shower too." The older boy said, exiting the room.

It felt dark and cold in that room, just like it always had. It felt small, and Kano hated it. The entire room was mostly dull shades of gray as the silver moonlight filtered into the room. The fact that it was so messy and unorganized didn't help much either.

He hadn't even taken notice to the headache he now had, throbbing in the back of his neck.

"Shit." He spat, as his eye power faded.

The younger boy rapidly buried himself under the blankets on the bed in an attempt to hide his scarred body.

He had mostly developed a tolerance to small amounts of pain, and since there was no money for medication, he had to just deal with larger amounts of pain.

"I _really _hope he doesn't see me like this." Kano whispered to himself.

Although, he secretly hoped Shintaro would come back soon, as those weird voices who would whisper in his ears when he was alone in the dark were there once again, and he tried to block them out, squeezing his eyes shut.

After what seemed like an eternity of waiting, he heard his door open, and the shut-in's warm voice flooded the room, drowning out those voices whispering in his head.

The cat-eyed boy opened one of his golden eyed and glanced at Shintaro as he crawled under the blankets next to the younger boy.

Seeking comfort, Kano put his arm around the taller boy.

The liar slid his hand down the older boy's side, tracing his frame. He only had a towel around his waist, just like Kano.

As soon as the golden-eyed boy reached the NEET's smooth, soft legs, he ran his hand across Shintaro's leg and gently touched the inside of the other boy's thigh, feeling the dark-haired boy shudder beneath his gentle touch.

Kano pushed his body against the other boy's, causing him to gasp quietly. The older boy laughed quietly upon feeling this. "You know," He said. "For a gang leader, you aren't really all that tough!" The taller boy sounded sleepy.

The liar felt comfortable, and he was happy to not have to spend another night alone, where he often let his cried and couldn't help but succumb to those voices who only got louder the more he tried to force them out of his head.

"You smell nice." Kano mumbled, resting his head against Shintaro's shoulder.

After a few minutes of silence between the two, the older boy smiled upon hearing Kano's soft and rhythmic breath being the only sound in the room. He figured the younger boy wasn't asleep, but he didn't bother with possibly waking him up if he was.

"I can't believe it's only been 7 months and we're already sleeping together." Shintaro thought aloud.

He turned and glanced at the smaller boy, now sleeping peacefully beside him. It was strange how much the two acted although they were in love, teasing each other and playing hard to get.

During meetings, when no one was allowed to use their powers, Shintaro would see Kano staring at him out of the corner of his eye, only to see the cat-eyed boy swiftly look away when the NEET would turn to gaze back.

The deciever would often playfully tease Shintaro, which the older boy knew was Kano's way of flirting. Kano would intentionally do things he knew drove Shintaro up the wall. Quite frankly, the shut-in loved the way it made him crazy.

He loved that thick, disgusting feeling that spread though his body when the liar would irritate him. That mysterious, cute, sly, shit-eating grin he always had on his face.

Despite the fact that Kano Shuuya was annoying as anything, knew nothing about or even of love, and was barely short of an unlovable, sad creature that Shintaro merely pitied. The older boy craved the feeling that Kano gave him.

Somehow, though, there was something Shintaro saw in that boy.

Some twisted feeling swelling up in his chest. However, the NEET never saw through Kano's warped emotions.

That boy never let his real emotions break through, as to never let anyone work their way into his heart; it was almost as though the cat-eyed boy didn't want to let Shintaro know he loved him directly.

Kano had allowed himself to be hurt too much in his past, so he had sworn a personal vow to himself to never, ever let himself wholly love another person again, because he knew it would only end with him crouched by a gravestone in tears once more.

And that was something he never wanted to experience again.

The old Shintaro was dead. The one who only held anger and hatred towards Kano in his heart was gone. Same with the old Kano. All his past anger had drained from his heart.

However, he was still afraid to let his emotions show.

What would become of him if he let his mask fall? The deceiver had trusted people too many times, too many times had he let his facade down, only to be harshly pulled away from those he loved and trusted, left with nothing but twisted regret, and a hollow, scarred heart he would never fully open to anyone again.

Kano feared giving in to his own pain too much. Even Shintaro couldn't fix him, as he was bent and broken beyond repair.

So alas, their relationship would remain as it was. A boy with a dead heart in love with a boy with a heart blackened by lies.


	5. Chapter 5 - Tengoku e Ikou

Morning seemed to come as soon as Shintaro closed his eyes.

The older boy felt Kano stirring beside him. The NEET rose from the bed and put his clothes on, realizing he was still wearing that stupid towel from last night's shower. Kano did the same, silently neither of them speaking to each other.

Shintaro sat back down on the bed, and Kano glanced at the clock.

"Dammit." The liar hissed.

"It's 10 am. That means everyone's already gone. Shit, Kido's gonna kill me for missing the curfew again."

"So," Shintaro started. "That means we're alone, then?"

Kano nodded, opening his mouth to speak again.

He was suddenly cut off by the sounds of shattering glass, and quiet voices speaking barely above a hushed whisper.

"What the hell was that?!" The shorted boy rose to his feet quickly, pulling his gun, opening the door to the bedroom without a word. He cautiously stepped out of the doorway, glancing behind him to make sure Shintaro was still behind him.

The sound of plates shattering and the clanking of silverware echoed down the hall from the kitchen. Kano and Shintaro quietly crept down the hall towards the hall.

The liar poked his head into the kitchen, his gold eyes widening.

Robbers.

"Great." The cat-eyed boy cursed under his breath. One of the black-masked men turned and looked at him.

Suddenly, it felt as though someone had struck the shorter boy across the head. A violent flashback hit him, nearly sending him stumbling backwards into Shintaro's conveniently placed arms.

Those eyes.

Kano remembered those eyes from the day he and his family had been killed.

His heart was pounding in his ears and his blood was roaring. The boy's mouth felt dry, and his head was a huge gray mess of blurred memories.

The memories from that particular day replayed themselves over and over in his mind. He wanted to scream, but his voice was trapped in his throat.

Then he felt it.

The pain of how he could do nothing but stand by once more. How truly helpless, powerless, and utterly pathetic he was. It felt like 10,000 people were laughing at him, and he could have sworn that the room was closing in around him.

"Ah. Shuuya." A voice ripped through his thoughts.

His vision was blurred by tears, and the edges of it were black.

"S-Stay away from me!" Kano's voice trembled as he cocked his gun, secretly wondering why and how this man had remembered his name.

"So. You've stooped to the same level we have. You've become what you hate. A monster." The man laughed.

"Never!" Kano spat. "The difference between you and I is that I don't kill people, especially innocent ones with families! I hope you burn in hell, you disgusting scum of the Earth! I'll _never _forgive you for what you did to my mother and my sister!" The liar was shouting now.

He heard Shintaro gasp, and quickly turned around, his grip on his gun only tightening. He nearly dropped his weapon upon seeing another man holding Shintaro a few feet from the floor by his collar.

"So," The man started. "Who's this, eh? Your partner in crime? Or perhaps...a _romantic _interest? After all, we saw you two come out of that room earlier. Gettin' it on, huh? Ooh, kinky." The man laughed, glaring at Shintaro.

"Put him down, you asshole! Or else! I'll blow through your head!" Kano shouted, fighting back his tears.

"Not if I don't blow through _his _first." The man smirked, drawing a gun on the taller boy.

The deceiver kept his aim at the man steady and unflinching.

"Shoot me, and your boyfriend gets it, faggot." The man sneered.

Kano glanced at the man, his hands now trembling, and his knuckles white from his tight grip on the gun.

"Put the gun down and I won't hurt him." The man pointed to Kano.

The cat-eyed boy reluctantly lowered his gun, locking the safety on and dropping it to the floor.

"Now. Put him down, you piece of shit." The liar threatened.

The man did as he was told, and after the robbers had collected everything valuable in the house and were in another room where they could only faintly be heard, Shintaro rushed over to a locked window.

One of the robbers stepped into the room and focused the sight of the gun in on the taller boy's head, only to be thown off guard and knocked off aim by Kano yelling for Shintaro to open the window, and by an empty vase that was thrown at him.

The loud sound of gunshot ripped through the air, and before Kano could fully understand what had happened, Shintaro was against one of the gray walls, now spattered with fresh blood.

"Shit shit shit dammit NO!" The shorter boy ran across the room, only to be cut short by another gunshot, then a stabbing pain in his leg.

At this point, the adrenaline that was pulsing through his veins numbed the pain temporarily, athough he could feel his own blood soaking his pants and dribbling down his leg.

The man who had just fired the gun against the boys laughed and exited the room.

Kano knelt down next to Shintaro, his voice hoarse.

The pain from his wound immediately shot through his leg, instantly crumbling his facade.

"Shintaro?" Kano whispered, leaning against the wall.

"K-Kano...a-are you—" The deceiver cut him off.

"Shhh, I'm fine, don't worry about me, OK?" Tears fell freely from Kano's eyes, and he no longer cared about himself anymore, his focus entirely shifting to Shintaro.

"Shintaro...do...do you still hate me?" The younger boy asked. The older one cringed at that word, hate. It was so strong.

"No. O-Of course not..." The NEET mumbled, lightly fingering a small lock of Kano's hair. "I-In fact, I-I feel...e-e-exactly the opposite." He smiled lightly, his cheeks stained with tears.

The liar leaned forward, careful not to put any of his weight on Shintaro, and kissed him. The cat-eyed boy didn't pull away despite tasting the blood in the older boy's mouth.

After he pulled away, he stared into the taller boy's sincere black eyes.

"I'm sorry. I wish I could save you. But...neither of us can really move right now. You've lost too much blood as it is, dammit." He grasped Shintaro's pale hand, which had a small red river of blood flowing across it.

"This is all my fault." Kano tried to hold back his tears.

"I'm so sorry Shintaro. I let you die, just like I let my family die. I'm utterly worthless. I guess I deserve to die too, then. After all the lives I was perfectly capable of saving slipped from my fingers, should I not suffer the same punishment?" He glanced at Shintaro, who was staring at him sadly, tears rapidly streaming down his face.

The deceiver could no longer feel his right leg at all, and he avoided the obvious pool of iron-scented blood gathering around his leg. His whole body was trembling, and he heard Shintaro whisper.

"I'm scared Kano."

"You don't need to be. I'm right here, I'll be here the whole time, OK?" The shorter boy choked.

"I love you, Kano."

"I love you too, Shintaro." The NEET's voice was barely audible.

"Never thought I'd die like this." The younger boy thought to himself.

Kano glanced out the window and up at the sky.

"Ayano. Here I come. Mom, Sis, Finally. We'll be able to see each other again. I'm sorry I couldn't have had a more fulfilling life. But, I'm glad to see you again. My greatest wish is for you to hold me again like you did. And right now, I could use it. I'm so scared. It's been a long time. I'm glad we will finally be able to be happy together again." Were the last words that he had vainly spoken, inaudible to even his own ringing ears.

***The End***


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